Creator Compass

Reminders of how I want to show up as a creative human being.

I don’t want to be a fantasy architect, dreaming up unrealistic creations with the latest AI technology.

I want to be a field recorder—

collecting real birdsong and bright yellow flowers, even dead branches;

crafting guitar melodies that set up camp in someone’s mind;

shaping ideas that illuminate.

Thoughts while thinking about my lofi tracks.

“The best thing you can do is whatever nobody else is doing. And the way to find that is to notice what about yourself is weird.”

Justin Gary • Derek Sivers — Embracing Simplicity, Owning Your Weirdness, and Designing a Life with Intent (#86)

“Your ego is a great technician. It cannot be creative.” - Anthony de Mello

Anchored in the standard of heaven

Don’t Cheat the Wall

Creative work isn’t a selfish act.
It isn’t a bid for attention.
It’s a gift.

That line from Steven Pressfield keeps echoing for me:
Don’t cheat us of your contribution.

This morning, that idea collided with Nehemiah 3.

At first glance, it’s the chapter you skip.
Just names. Families. Occupations. Gates. Sections of wall.
No drama. No

Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution.

— Steven Pressfield

Stop optimizing for virality. One viral post gives you strangers. Consistent quality gives you a community. Strangers leave. Community stays.